Opinion: Reader Network offers range of ideas on school safety

Some members of The Reporter Reader Network were invited to respond to the following question: In light of the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., in December, the Vacaville Unified School District is updating safety policies and procedures. What would you tell the school board about safety at Vacaville schools? Here's what they said:

We currently have no children attending VUSD schools, so I have no comment about the current policies. But I would support the school board sending a letter of support to Congress regarding the proposed gun control legislation as a way to eliminate some of the concern regarding guns used in school attacks. Every little bit of effort will produce results.

-- Jo Ann Joye, Vacaville

I hope there's action on the federal level about getting rid of assault rifles. I think having inside locks on the classroom doors is a good idea. I am against having armed guards at the schools for many reasons:

* It introduces firearms at our schools and, consequently, raises the possibility for accidents and human errors in judgment. No amount of background checks can take the place of a policeman and the training he's received to handle firearms in the public.

* The statement it makes to our children. Will they feel safer? Will this be their new normal?

* Financial reasons. We've just now regained a tiny toehold on budgetary concerns with our schools, and with it, the hope that we can rehire some teachers and re-introduce some programs that have been cut.

Keeping our children safe is paramount. I know the school district will use good judgment.

-- Joy Hanek, Vacaville

Most of our schools (elementary especially) are wide-open campuses with no control over the comings and goings, which is convenient for parents and caregivers, but makes it easier for unbalanced individuals to strike. We could say "close the area off," but is that really going to help? If someone is intent on doing harm, they will find a way. I wish there were an easy fix, but there isn't. Perhaps patrols (unarmed -- please) checking the school campus on a regular basis (but irregular times) would be a deterrent.

-- Penny Oless, Vacaville

Metal detectors at the doors would be a great way to stop the access to the schools without costing a fortune. The doors could be manned by teachers as the students came in.

-- Robert Stone, Vacaville

I sincerely wish the folks in Newtown, Conn., my condolences on the untimely loss of their children. My heart goes out to these folks. On the same note, at the schools I sent my children to -- and that included Vanden High -- I saw police on a regular basis on the school grounds, to remedy that type of incident occurring. I will tell you that police on school grounds do work. The idea of arming teachers will just, in my experience, lead to more responsibilities being put on their shoulders and they already have enough on their plates.

-- Manuel Hernandez, Vacaville

I would advise the VUSD board to approach this matter as they would similar concerns for preventing assailants from entering their homes. Secured doors, perimeter fences and gates for a start. Careful scrutiny of anyone who desires to gain entry to the controlled area of the school. Purchase firearms and enlist volunteer staff (certificated or classified) to undergo necessary training to carry said firearms concealed on school property, including inside the secured perimeter area. Pay these people more for their enhanced service to the district, its staff and pupils. Take down any "Gun Free Zone" signs, if there are any. That concept is ludicrous and does nothing to protect anyone, except, perhaps, the mass-shooting assailant. Lastly, stop focusing on guns as the root cause of such horrors.

-- David Wigley, Vacaville

At Sandy Hook, all of the safety procedures were in place. They had practiced drills to know what to do in the event an intruder came onto their school grounds. Then, a young man who had no concern over procedures, blasted into the office area, killed the principal, some of the office staff, and then moved on to the first grade. What would I tell the school board?

Be vigilant and tell your staffs at the various schools to be vigilant. If everyone isn't on board with the safety procedures you set in place, nothing will work to make the schools safer. At my school, my principal and our assistant principal have worked tirelessly to put in place procedures to help make our school safer. But, unfortunately, not everyone is on board with the procedures. They complain about having to walk their students to and from their classes. They frequently mock any and all ideas the administration has put in place. Without their complicit adherence to the policies, the safety procedures won't be effective. Consequently, the administration, from the school board to the school principals, have to follow the procedures put in place. If there are some who don't want to follow the procedures, do what is necessary to make sure they understand that there job is on the line -- union or no union!

-- Joanna Fox, Vacaville

I would continue with the current lockdown procedures. I believe that our teachers, especially in the middle and secondary schools, need to be aware of students who have been picked on or bullied. In addition, school staff should keep a constant connection with the kids as they talk about persons who are upset from either by being bullied or harassed at school. This information needs to be brought to the attention of administration and police officers assigned to the schools. Students who are found to have violated bullying or harassment procedures should be expelled immediately.

Based on our school layouts, we need to look at tightening up physical security around all schools as well as better controlling entry and exiting. Most schools are vulnerable to persons just walking onto school grounds, past the office and into the classrooms. Teachers are especially at risk, based on the lack of physical security at our schools. We have police at two middle and two high schools, but they cannot be everywhere at once.

-- Nils Carlson, Vacaville

Allow and encourage teachers and other school employees to be trained and then carry concealed handguns at the school. Not every school employee needs to be armed, but many would certainly volunteer to do so because they care that much about protecting the children. Newtown school district is calling for armed guards, such as those at the school where the president sends his children. Obviously, guns at school are a good thing. But a couple of armed guards are easily disabled by planning and the element of surprise from a criminal. However, it is a serious deterrent if the would-be shooter doesn't know who and how many protectors will be shooting back. If the worst happens, then there will be several trained people on site at the time who are equipped to save lives, possibly the life of your child. "When seconds count, the cops are only minutes away."

-- Dave Edwards, Vacaville

I was thinking that having an armed guard at schools is out of the question, as well as arming school staff. It would be best to have all the doors locked and only one entrance be available, where surveillance cameras would be monitored for any intruder walking up to the door. Before that person reached the entrance, the monitor would have access to a button to lock the door and then call the police. Early warning would give school staff time to implement safety procedures until police arrived .

-- Bill Sheehan, Vacaville

Armed guards in schools is a foolish notion, but not surprising coming from the NRA, whose membership stands to make lots of money if they can sell it to the public. PACs funded by the arms industry and NRA lobbyists will pressure Congress and state legislatures to water down any attempt to control sales of combat weapons and ammunition, and continue to peddle the lie that guns make us safe. Their priority is profits, not school (or public) safety. They'll invoke "job creation" as a reason for placing armed guards in schools. They'll trot out scare tactics about guns being necessary to defend against "the government" (based on a very loose interpretation of the Second Amendment). Don't look to the law for protection for students and teachers in schools, audiences in theaters, or anyone else.

-- Marilee Scholl, Vacaville

I would ask the school board to not allow demonization of the NRA, hunting organizations and clubs that sponsor safety and responsibility for all who use and own guns of any sort; that the use of the term "assault rifle" is a malicious description of a class of weapons that are not full military and have evolved as easier ways to have and handle new types of gun design. I would ask the board to take into consideration that We the People are saturated with unenforced, useless laws and to note that criminals are the class that ignore and disobey those laws, good or useless; their regard for the law-obeying citizen is zilch. Mentally ill people cannot necessarily be exposed in paperwork and it is subjective, but it needs to be addressed. We the People are not ready to ask a growing inept government to remove our freedoms by taking away liberties. Be careful what you ask for, you just may get it.